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ENTERPRISE
Citing harassment and the fact his job is no longer enjoyable, the senior administrative officer (SAO) in Enterprise has put in his notice of resignation, but some members of the community are not ready to accept his decision.

Terry Testart, senior administrative officer with the Hamlet of Enterprise, has submitted his resignation. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Terry Testart e-mailed the hamlet's mayor and council advising them of his intention to leave, but no date was set for his departure.

"It's just not fun anymore," Testart said at a special council meeting on July 24 at which he, council members and residents brought forward community concerns.

"It is a challenge to work here. There are things about the job that create a lot of stress," he said, adding the hamlet is supposed to have a zero-tolerance policy toward harassment. He said harassment - including abusive and vulgar language - is directed at him as well as other hamlet employees.

Testart, who has worked for the hamlet since early January, outlined his problems dealing with some councillors.

"I think the thing that really cemented my decision to leave was when I felt harassed by a councillor on details of the paving project and the way the minutes had been done," he said. Testart said he has no issue with answering questions about minutes, but the councillor raised concerns in an e-mail to other councillors.

"When I say I'm starting to feel harassed by that, it's because I am," he said. "And whether it's true or not, my situation is that I'm feeling harassed."

Coun. Tammy Neal, who sent the e-mail about the council minutes, defended asking questions.

"How is that harassment? That's my job as an elected official," she said, adding she is "totally insulted" by the accusation.

"I think he's doing a good job, but I also feel that some things are a little over exaggerated, like when it comes to accusing me of harassing him," she said.

Neal said it is also difficult to be a councillor in Enterprise with some residents yelling and swearing over community issues.

"This community can grow to be so much if everybody gets on the same page and works together," she said.

Along with harassment, the SAO listed a number of other concerns, including residents objecting to the hamlet spending money on projects, such as paving set for this summer.

"I don't think there are hardly any communities of a hundred people that have a bank account of $5 million and don't spend money," he said. "When we do try to spend money, there is resistance, and I don't understand it."

Testart said hamlet council and staff are "always getting henpecked" for decisions. "And that's a form of harassment to me."

Not including council members and hamlet staff, the July 24 meeting attracted 13 residents. Enterprise has a population of about 100.

Many residents expressed support for Testart.

"People don't have the right to go up to somebody and start swearing and screaming at them. That just isn't right," said resident Eric Bartlett, who added Testart has done a good job as SAO.

Coun. Jim Dives said he knows all about harassment in Enterprise.

"To let the harassment chase you out of here is letting harassment win, and I don't think that's good."

Following the meeting, Mayor Mike St. Amour said it was good discussion.

"There's a lot of old, bad blood, and I hope it clears the air so that we can move forward," he said, adding he plans on opening the floor a lot more in the future so residents can have their say.

The mayor said he also intends to strictly enforce the hamlet's policy against harassment.

St. Amour said he received Testart's e-mail resignation, but he has refused to accept it.

The mayor also hopes the appreciation expressed to Testart at the meeting will encourage him to stay with the hamlet.

Testart declined to say if the meeting would make him change his mind about resigning.

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